Game On
by Birdie1
Summary: The scoobs get caught in a dangerous game -played out in their dreams


'So...you killed her then' Buffy said, the contempt in her voice barely veiled. They circled, still, eyes locked on each other, knowing the dead flesh was on the floor, not needing to see it. No confirmation necessary.  
'I...had to. I had to do it. I was meant to. Wasn't I?' the note of doubt was clear in her voice.  
'Well, you never liked her, did you?' Xander asked, circling. 'I mean, we hate Cordelia Chase don't we? Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!'  
'That wasn't it! We were friends in the end. It was my objective. In the game. This is a game, right?'  
'Games, they're like sport without exercise, right?' Spike asked. Round and round. Circling. 'But a sport needs a challenge, know what I mean?'  
'Look at that thing Will, surprised you can hold it up.' Buffy sneered.  
She looked at the sword in her hand. Blade half as long as her body. Slick with fresh blood.  
'Y'know, I sent Angel back to hell with a smaller blade than that.' She sneered. 'Big guy, Angel. Still I guess Cordy had kinda big hair.' She sniggered.  
'Why are you riding me, Buffy? Scared I'm going to beat you, huh?'  
'I don't like killers Wil-low. I guess you really want a win, killer.' Circling the meat.  
'Stop it! Hey I don't want to play anymore! This bites!  
'Oh no, ducks,' Spike said, 'That's me. No chip in the game. Maybe you're my objective, huh? I mean, come on Red, you know how I feel about you. You're worth a hundred of any of these tossers. Me and you together, fair gets the sap rising, dunnit?'  
She dropped the sword with a resounding crash. 'This isn't right. It can't be. Tara?'  
'Willow.' The voice was cold. She appeared close behind Buffy.  
'Hey Will,' Buffy called.'Y'know when you play Monopoly and you forge partnerships for mutual advantage? Well me and Tara here have discovered a mutual advantage partnership.'  
The two blondes kissed savagely. Buffy pulled away. 'Sorry, Will. Your girl here likes to be slapped around a bit. So we're, like, together.'  
'I don't want to play anymore. No, no, no!'  
  
'Willow! Wake up!  
Tara was virtually sitting on Willow trying to wake her from the obvious nightmare. Seeing the sweet blond in her pyjamas and waving a teddy bear in the air would normally have had Willow in fits of giggles, but waking from a nightmare was no laughing matter. Tara flopped down next to her and gave her a loving cuddle.  
'You okay? Bad dreams?'  
'You're not kidding.' She gave Tara a look.'You were kissing Buffy.'  
'Willow!'  
'I know, I know.'  
'What's brought this on?' Tara asked, stroking Willow's scarlet locks. 'I've never even looked at anyone else, least alone your best friend. You're all I want.'  
'So you're not attracted to Buffy?'  
'No. I mean she's sort of gorgeous and all...'  
Willow frowned.  
'...but she's not you.'  
'I'm sorry, I don't even remember what this dumb dream was about.'  
'Hey Willow?'  
'What about you?  
'Me what?'  
'You know. Buffy.'  
Willow drew Tara into a soft embrace. 'When I was sixteen I was this little mouse with low self confidence and terrible clothes. I was in love with one of the least popular boys in school and I used to ration masturbation to once a month, 'cos I thought it was what bad girls did. Then, out of the blue this gorgeous, sharp kid from LA shows up. She's got everything set for being the new top girl. Instead, she cuts Cordy dead, comes straight to me and Xander and basically asks us if we want to hang out. Tara, Buffy blinded me she shone so bright. She asked me over to her house and we studied and watched tv and just had fun. It was one of the best times of my life. And it carried on. She told me stuff that no-one had ever told me. She told me I was pretty. I remember when she told me I was way cuter than Cordy. Thing is, I knew that it wasn't true, but Buffy really meant it. And I had a huge crush on her. But it wasn't sexual. I was too innocent for that.'  
'I so love you.'  
'Me too.'  
They rubbed noses and giggled.  
'What time is it?'  
'10.30.'  
'Oh the joy of Saturdays. Wanna come down The Expresso Pump for lunch? I said I'd meet the guys.'  
'Uh huh.'  
The two girls unhurriedly got up, washed and dressed. Willow still felt uneasy after the dream, though she couldn't recall the details. She caught herself wondering what Buffy would think of Tara's tight t-shirt. Crazy! She had no reason to think that Buffy would register what her girlfriend was wearing at all. Buffy had a boyfriend. She had no evidence to suggest that her friend was not entirely heterosexual.  
  
Tara fought to recall her own dream. It had to with the vampire Spike. He had been trying to seduce Willow. Hadn't she always felt that Spike was attracted to Willow? It was in the way he gently made fun of her rather than the outright abuse he dished out to the others. The way he brushed against her without needing to. Most of all, that pet name, 'Red'. Tara could hear the affection in his voice when he said it. If Spike wanted to take Willow as his lover, he would have to kill her first. But he couldn't. Not with the chip in his head. Certainly not with a stake through his heart. Tara shook herself. She didn't like the thoughts this dream had put in her head. Not at all.  
  
Buffy, Xander and Anya were already comfortably ensconced at the Expresso Pump when Tara and Willow arrived. Buffy and Xander looked excited and pumped up and were deep in conversation. Anya looked bored and pissed, as usual. Willow grabbed a seat and pulled it up to the table. 'Hi, guys.' She said almost apologetically.  
'Hey!' Xander said enthusiastically. 'Here she is! Hey killer!'  
'Hey?'  
Buffy barely looked up. 'Didn't know you had it in you.'  
'What?'  
'The killer instinct.'  
'Don't get ya.'  
Buffy met Willow's gaze. 'The game, ditzoid.' She mimed a sword fight. 'Good moves Wil-low. Icing poor old Cordy.'  
Willow felt a cold chill down her spine. Some weird this way was coming.  
'What game?'  
'You know, THE game.' Xander said excitedly. 'It's wild!'  
Willow was getting agitated now. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'  
'Okay, new game concept? Testing on campus? Straight to the frontal lobe, played in your sleep?'  
'We're a test group. The four of us. Jeez Willow, all that dweeby computer crap is rotting your mind.'  
'Who's supposed to be playing this game?' Tara asked.  
'Me, you, Xander, Willow.' Buffy said. Anya didn't have the get-go.'  
'Well something's wrong, Willow and I don't remember anything about it.'  
Buffy smiled warmly at Tara. 'Screwing the dork that ate Paris can't be doing you any good, honey. Come sit round here with me, I'll look after you.'  
Willow and Tara exchanged horrified glances. 'Two coffees please. Black.'  
  
The two witches couldn't believe that Buffy had said something so horrible about her closest fiend. Buffy and Xander were talking excitedly about the game again. Willow noticed that Anya was still staring in shock at The Slayer. Suddenly the small demon-girl had become an unexpected ally. She reached into her bag and hurriedly scribbled something on a notepad. She handed the note under the table to Tara.  
GET ANYA OUTSIDE AND FIND OUT WHAT GIVES????  
'Hey, Anya?' Tara asked.  
'What?'  
'Mmm...I saw this pair of shoes over the road and I just thought of you straight away.'  
'Shoes?' Anya's eyes lit up.  
'Wanna come and have a look with me?'  
'You betcha. This is as dull as it gets without Giles being in the room.'  
Willow watched the two young women leave. 'Buff?  
'Why are you being such a major bitca?'  
Xander and Buffy exchanged glances then burst into mocking laughter.  
'It's part of her objective, Derwood.'  
'Yeah, get with the programme, Wil-low!'  
'Call me that again and you'll be Ratty the Gerbil Slayer.'  
Buffy leaped to her feet, upsetting her coffee as she did so. 'Threaten me again, witch, and I'll tear your fucking face off!'  
This time, even Xander looked shocked. 'Jesus, Buffy. It's Willow. Get out of the game. Session 2 tonight, not now.'  
Willow had begun to cry, softly.  
'Come on Will, I was just trying to get you back on track ya big baby. Don't be such a wuss!'  
Willow looked up at Buffy. 'I don't know who you are.'  
  
'I have some bad news.' Tara said earnestly to Anya. 'There are no shoes.'  
'No shoes! Why are we out here? I had a mocha in there!'  
'Anya, what is going on with this game?'  
'Now that's a different matter.' She put her arm round Tara's shoulders conspiratorially and turned their backs to the Expresso Pump.  
'They are acting very strangely. Especially Buffy. I don't like it.'  
'Strangely how?'  
'When they wake up they're supposed to cut straight out of the game. But they're acting like they're still in the wretched thing. Especially Buffy.'  
'What is this game exactly? How does it work?'  
'Small chip just under the skin. Links you together. Then some sort of hypno suggestive drug.'  
'Woah. None of us would agree to that. Doesn't make sense. Who's supposed to be running this trial?'  
'Some guy called Barney. Friend of Xander's from High School. They're running it out of the University.'  
'So what actually is this game? What do you have to do?'  
'I gather you have different objectives you have to complete. Eventually you have a 'prime objective'.'  
'Prime objective?'  
'Kill one of the others.'  
'Oh Goddess!'  
'If you say so. I want to know what your deal is.'  
'I don't know. I think we played the game. Just don't remember much of what happened.'  
'Hey. I'm not going to beat around the bush. I'm not beat around the bush girl. As I'm sure you know. Did you fuck last night?'  
Tara went deepest scarlet. 'I-urr..'  
'Tara, this is me you're talking to. The shag monster. She who thinks that what you and Willow get up to is as valid as any other sexual act on the planet. Now did you guys fuck last night?'  
'We....urm...yes.'  
Anya held up her hand and started counting off on her fingers. 'No alcohol. No drugs. No smoking and, the biggie, no sex.'  
'Barney?'  
'Yup. He was very strict about it.'  
'None of this adds up, unless, maybe, you're Xander. There's no way Willow or I would allow ourselves to be chipped or drugged. Ditto Buffy. So, say we've been manipulated into it somehow. Willow and I have sex. This must release some pheromone or other that interferes with the drug and affects our memory...this sound okay so far?'  
Tara's eyes were looking increasingly wild.  
'Sounds reasonable. Are you okay?'  
'I'm fine. Fine. It's all so clear, Anya. It's Spike. He's behind all of it. He's gonna bypass the chip, then he's going to take her.'  
'I don't think you're quite a well as you think are.' Anya suggested.  
'No, I'm alright. I have to stop him though. Losing her would kill me, but to see her like that. A vampire. By his side.'  
Tara turned away from Anya and belted off up the street. Anya swung round to speak to a stranger in the street. 'If I'm the only one who's sane?' she asked. 'Does that make me insane?  
  
Cordelia Chase sat on the coach with her pumps hoiked up on the seat in front of her and whistled a jaunty tune. She guessed she must have been around half an hour from Sunnydale, and was amazed just how eager she was to catch up with the old gang. Even Buffy. After the Shansu incident in LA, Cordelia had truly come to understand suffering. There was so much agony and pain in the world, and it had all been locked up in the superficial brain of Cordelia Chase. Angel had changed Cordy. Angel and Doyle. She still felt an arrow of pain arc through her when she thought of him. Of what he might have been. Of what they might have been. She wanted that more now than she ever had. Yet in the short time they had together, she'd been mean to him. Like she had to just about everyone. She thought of sweet little Willow. Who she had hated. For stealing her boyfriend. Willow, who had been in love with Alexander Harris for 15 years. Willow, who she had tormented for most of her life, just for being different. Willow who was one of the kindest, smartest people Cordelia had ever known. Then there was Xander, who she had betrayed in her mind every single day they were dating. Xander who she had condemned forever for kissing a girl who loved him and had never said a cruel word to him since they were five. Xander who kept a place in his heart for Cordelia after all the jibes, the humiliations, the cruel taunts. Xander, a far bigger person than she would ever be. And, of course, there was Buffy. Who had saved her life more times than she cared to remember. Buffy who had let Cordy have her moments, when she could have made her look a fool. Yup, it was going to be one big round of apologies. Fun. Cordelia wondered if she could just stroll into The Bronze and everything would be same: Willow and Oz wrapped up in each other's eyes, Xander desperately trying to attract Buffy's attention, Buffy disappearing out of the back door after some poorly dressed vamp. More likely they'd all be....where? The High School was in ruins, so no library.   
She looked out of the window. Sunnydale city limits. Soon she'd know.  
  
'What is it with you girls? It's all "Spike's such a bastard" and "that Spike is just an evil demon" And yet you keep on coming back for more. Aren't you Red's little plaything?'  
Tara trembled with fear as she faced the blond vampire across the crypt he currently called home. In one hand she clutched a stake she had taken from Willow and Buffy's room. 'I-I h-have a name.'  
'What is it, Terra or something? What's with the wood, Terra, gonna stake me?'  
She nodded.  
'Look, sweetie, I won't screw around with you. The chip is still going full pace. I can't hurt you or yours, so why mess with me? Rupert and the Slayer forgave me for that whole rotten scene with Freddie Frankenstein, so what's your beef?'  
'Willow.'  
'Red? What about her?'  
'I seen how you look at her. The way you talk to her. You want her.'  
Spike guffawed. 'You wanna dust me 'cos you think I fancy your girlfriend?'  
'Yes.'  
'Well, I hadn't really thought about it, but now you come to mention....she is a cute little thing. I like redheads. Nice, tight little body. Sweet little arse.'  
Tara came towards Spike, her eyes brimming with tears. She held up the stake.  
Spike held up his hands in defence. 'Woah, Terra. I'm pulling your chain, okay? I'm not interested in Red like that. I like women, not little girls.'  
'Like Harmony, you mean?'  
Spike and Tara both turned to see Willow and Anya framed in the crypt entrance arch.  
Spike chuckled. 'I never turned Harmony. That was some other sad-sack. She was just a bit of harmless fun. Red, can you tell your little bunny-boiler to lay off with the stake?'  
'Tara? Baby?'  
'He's gotta die.' Tara sobbed. 'He'll take you away from me.'  
'Look,' Spike insisted, 'I didn't want to tell you this, but since your girl here seems intent on staying at the Rubber Room Hotel....even if I get this rotten fucker out of my head, I still wouldn't bite you guys.'  
'Why?'  
'Don't get me wrong, the Slayer and sad-boy are first on my list. But my little witches? You're worth way more alive. If I turn you you're not a fraction as powerful as demons. Okay? Are we buds? Guys?'  
Tara seemed confused, still holding the stake aloft. 'I-it's m-my objective...'  
Anya moved across the room and gently took the stake from Tara. 'It's okay, Tara. You're not in the game. This is real.' She passed the stake to Spike who immediately began breaking into as many pieces as possible.  
'So what's freakin' her?'  
Anya passed the still trembling Tara to Willow, who held her tightly.  
'What have you been up to recently, Spike?'  
'Oh this and that. You know, working out. Like to keep fit.'  
'Heard any plots against the Slayer?'  
'Who am I, Willie the Snitch?'  
'Well you do have a big mouth, Spikey. For instance, I distinctly heard you say just now that should the chip go, Xander would be one of your first victims. Bad move. You see Tara over there wouldn't hurt a fly. I, on the other hand, enjoy the pain of others tremendously. Unfortunately for you, I care a great deal about Xander Harris. So it seems to me that a sensible insurance policy would be to kill you now, after all.'  
'I've done it again, haven't I?'  
'Would William the Bloody Stupid be appropriate?' Willow suggested.  
'Don't push it, Red.'  
'What are you going to do, lick me?'  
'Human girl is one of my favourite flavours, actually.'  
'What's up, Spike?  
'There's a demon. Hangs out at Willie's. Anyway, this guy spent a lot of time locked up at The Initiative. He got friendly with one of the scientists. Anyway, when we wasted the place our demon and his human friend both got out alive. Rumour at Willie's is that Initiative research is still being implemented. Could be they're trying to knock out a few loose ends. Anyway, you can check it out yourselves. This face doesn't fit at Willie's anymore.'  
At that moment Willow's cellphone began to ring, sounding strangely incongrous in the ancient crypt.  
'Hello?'  
Her face broke into a huge grin. 'No! You are kidding? Okay, I'm on my way.'  
She turned to others. 'We're going to have to make a diversion.'   
  
When Willow rung the door at Giles' apartment it was Cordelia who opened the door. It was like meeting a different person. Cordy's aura had warped, changed, almost out of recognition. She gave Willow a big hug, and the witch actually felt genuine warmth. Good old Angel, the miracle worker. Willow look at Cordelia's face. Darker, older. Goddess, there were wrinkles round her eyes. And she had seen pain and despair. And she'd lost someone close. All this she could see in Cordelia's face.  
'Willow! Look at your hair! Where's Oz?'  
'Quickly and cleanly.' Willow thought. 'Oz and I split up. Cordelia, I'm in a gay relationship, right now. This is my girlfriend, Tara.'  
Cordelia shook Tara's hand warmly 'Hi Tara, I'm Cordy. God, Willow you always seem to get just the right one, you know, you can just see it. I'm so jealous, 'cos I'm such a big mess in that area.'  
'Cordy?'  
'Yeah?'  
Willow pointed to Tara and back to herself again.  
'Will! I've known ever since VampWillow. Angel's always known. Vamps can see that stuff in humans. He kind of explained everything there is to know. Lot of boring stuff, but that one came up. God, who cares? Oz was a werewolf, for heaven's sake!'  
Cordelia walked past her into Giles' apartment, whispering, 'She's cute, Willow.'  
Willow shook her head in wonder. Tara smiled in delight. 'Willow, she's lovely!'  
'Won't last.' Anya said, following them in.  
Xander and Buffy were already there. Giles was making more tea.  
'So what brings you back, Cordy?' Willow asked.  
'You guys, basically. I wanted to see you. Say sorry.'  
'Sorry, Cordelia?' Giles questioned 'For what?'  
'For what? For High School. For being the Queen Bitch. For making Xander and Willow's lives miserable.'  
She smiled. 'For being the world's biggest bitca, as I believe the joke is these days.'  
Xander flushed.  
'Cordy. You were there when it counted.' Buffy offered.  
'Yeah. You were a scoob.'  
'And you can be again.'  
'Will, I'm only staying a week.'  
'We got a thing going on. We need Anya, Cordy and Giles. They're the only ones we can rely on.'  
'What the hell are you talking about?' Buffy said, irritated.  
'The game, Buffy. Our minds have been messed with so that it all seems legitimate. Thing is, me and Tara had sex, sorry Giles, which messes with the drugs they're using. We think that's why we can't remember anything.'  
'Who is they, and to what end?' Buffy still sounded sceptical.  
'Spike thinks it's Initiative activity. Cleaning up loose ends.'  
'We all have highly classified information that could be dangerous to the government.' Giles agreed.  
'Could be someone gone rogue. Bitter?' Buffy suggested.  
'Are we suggesting something in the way of a Jonathon?'  
'I don't think so,' Willow said, 'In the game we apparently have to solve puzzles, meet objectives and eventually kill each other off. In the game we play ourselves but our personalities have been altered - more aggressive, more paranoid.' She looked at Buffy, 'More gay. More wired. It would appear from the events of the day that these personality changes, and some of the objectives, are coming out of the game and into reality,'  
'Blah, blah, blah, blah' Buffy said in a sarcastic, whiny voice.  
'See?' Willow said. 'Buffy's character hates mine and is trying to steal my girlfriend.'  
'I went to kill Spike.' Tara confessed 'I thought he wanted Willow to be his girlfriend, so I went to dust him. It was...an objective.'  
Cordelia patted Tara on the head 'Isn't she adorable?'  
Buffy was out of her seat practically bouncing with excitement 'Did you get him, babe? Did you dust him?'  
'No, I couldn't.'  
'S'alright sweetie,' Buffy said, stroking Tara's hair. 'I'll stake him just for you.'  
'Stop it, Buffy, now!' Willow shouted.  
'Wassup at Nerds-R-Us?'  
'Take your hands off my girlfriend, or I'll saw them off!'  
'Stop. Now!' Giles shouted. 'It hasn't taken long to verify Willow's theories, has it?  
'God, you guys are tense!' Cordelia announced. 'I mean, I thought you lacking in the fun factor before, but come on. Buffy what the hell is up with you?'  
'Cordelia,' Giles said slowly. 'Have you listened to a single word Willow said? Hold on, what am I saying?'  
'I'm on it. You guys are a bunch of psychos. That's no reason to act like you're criminally insane. Get with the programme!'  
'Not a good choice of words.' Xander decided.  
'Ok, leave this up to a professional private investigator. What do you all share in common?'  
'It's got to be something to do with the Initiative.' Buffy decided. 'Me, Xander, Willow, Spike..'  
'But what about Giles?' Willow asked. 'He was there. And Tara never went down there.'  
'But she is Willow's, you know, person.' Xander pointed out.  
'Girlfriend.' Willow corrected.  
Tara held her hand up like a schoolgirl trying to attract the teacher's attention  
'Tara?' Giles said, reverting to form.  
'My primary objective seemed to be to kill Spike. Spike wasn't actually in the game. Maybe one of you is supposed to kill Giles. You don't know it unless you are asleep and playing the game, or it comes out of the game with you, like with me and Spike.'  
'Anyone feeling like killing me right now?' Giles asked, eating a cookie.  
'No more than usual.' Anya said.  
'Okay, we know that Tara was meant to kill Spike. No loss to us really.' Cordelia speculated, 'Buffy obviously wants to kill Willow. She's trying to make Willow homicidally jealous. More possible violence. That leaves Xander with....'  
'Me.' Giles said.  
Xander shrugged. 'I don't want to kill anyone.'  
'Hmmmm.'  
'We should go to Willie's.' Willow said. 'Spike thinks there's some demon down there who might give us a lead.'  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Cordelia, Willow and Xander shuffled into Willie's bar just after Happy Hour. Happy Hour at Willie's generally involved the tradition of half-priced drinks, combined with the privilege of any particular virulent demons being able to adopt their natural appearance. No one knew the politics of this policy other than Willie and whatever bent member of local government he was dealing with these days. There were enough colourful scales and claws currently present for Willow to wonder exactly what did go on during happy hour. She pulled up a seat to the bar.  
'Hey Willie.'  
'Hey Willow. Haven't seen you round here for a while.'  
Willie spotted Cordelia and Xander. 'But you're more than welcome, as ever. Who's your friend?'  
'Cordelia Chase' Cordy announced. 'Angel Private Investigations.'  
Willie sighed. 'Will I never get any peace from that guy? Still, you're a great improvement on Angel's ugly mug. What do you want?'  
'Do you know anything about The Initiative, Willie?'  
'Less than you. It wasn't on Sunnydale's listed tourist attractions.'  
'What about since Buffy wasted Adam?'  
'They filled it in.'  
'We heard that a few wild cards got out. Carried on the good work. You know, nasty research and experimentation.'  
'Just so happens I can help you there.'  
Willow and Xander exchanged glances. 'No threats?'  
'No acts of random violence?'  
'Nah. You'll be doing me a favour.'  
'Explain?'  
'The guy's name is Barney. Research scientist at the Initiative. After the place got trashed he starts coming down here with a Dream Demon called Sam. And they're plotting and scheming and God knows what. Some of the other guys start hassling Sam, calling him an Uncle Tom and all that. So this fight starts and Sam and Barney get a bit of a beating. There follows a week of extreme violence. All these guys who were involved ended up tearing each other to pieces. Then Barney and Sam re-appear, looking all smug. It ain't good for business.'  
'So where can we find Barney?'  
'Try the Bronze.'  
'The Bronze?'  
'The Initiative goons all had cover stories. You know, I heard some of them were pretending to be students at the university. They must have got found out pretty quick. Anyways, Barney's in a band. They playing at The Bronze tonight.  
'What's he play?' Cordelia asked.  
'Bass, I think.'  
'Thanks Willie.'  
'Notice how I played him like a finely tuned....thing.'  
'Cordelia....'  
'No.....don't thank me. Highly trained, you see?  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
'You suck!  
'Xander, that's so unnecessary!'  
'You suck!'  
'Willow!'  
'Sorry.'  
'You suck!'  
'Giles, have some decorum!' Buffy reprimanded.  
'They do kinda suck...'  
'You are the assigned adult. Act like one.'   
'Fine.'  
'Well, this place has so changed.' Cordelia said sarcastically.  
They sat round a large table in a corner booth, for all the world like a bunch of teens out on a group date with their chaperones. Giles was keeping a watchful eye on Buffy, Cordelia was watching Xander and Anya was watching Willow. None of them were unaware of the historical implications of these pairings, but they were the best they come up with limited resources. Tara sat with Willow, faintly embarrassed that she had not been assigned a guardian to prevent her from doing anything rash from her sleep programmed personality.  
The band were truly awful. Seventies-style progressive rock a-la-Yes, really had very little place in 21st Century Sunnydale. Barney was overweight and had a ill-advised attempt at a beard. He reminded Buffy of Comic-Book-Guy from The Simpsons.  
'Not getting down, Giles?' Xander suggested. 'I would have thought this was just your era?'  
'I preferred the Sex Pistols actually.'  
The band had finally stopped their interminable soloing and appeared to be making their way off stage. Buffy was up there like a flash. This guy wasn't going to be any trouble.  
'You going to join me for a drink, handsome?'  
The flash of recognition in his eyes was unmistakable, as were the slumped shoulders of defeat. Buffy lead him back to the table.  
'I see you're out in force,' he observed. 'Did you eliminate Hostile 17?' he asked Tara.  
'It's Spike, okay?' Willow said passionately. 'His name's Spike. Enough with the Initiative crap!'  
They all looked at Willow in surprise. Tara whispered something in Cordelia's ear. Cordelia clasped Tara's hand. They both glared at Willow.  
'I don't like you.' Buffy said to Barney, 'I don't like your band. If I don't get straight answers I'll take you outside and tear your ears off. Okay?'  
He nodded. 'What didn't you work out?'  
'Start with the Initiative. What were you doing there?'  
'Working with dream demons. Basically they can put a nightmare in your head, then manifest it. Kill you with your dreams.'  
'Remember the fear demon?' Willow asked.  
Barney nodded. 'Not dissimilar. The Initiative were interested in the mind control aspects. I got to know one of the demons. He was kind of cool. So we invented a game. The game you played last night. This was devised outside of Initiative protocol, you understand, so we had to be careful. Then you trashed the place. So we set up elsewhere, me and Sam. Carried on with the research.'  
'So what are we, the Beta test?' Willow said angrily.  
Barney held up his hands. 'You wasted The Initiative. Killed fucking Adam, man! Who better?'  
Buffy looked puzzled. 'So this is what, revenge?'  
Barney looked amazed. 'God, no. Anything but. You're not getting it at all. We synthesised a drug from a gland in the dream demon. It allows us to utilise a fully realised 3-D environment developed on computer. Using a chip just under the skin we can link up as many players as we like, put them in any environment we choose, in their minds, and adapt their dream personalities as required. We give them objectives, goals. Die in the dream, you just wake up. 'Cept we have another feature, as you've no doubt discovered. We can wake you up with alternate dream personalities still intact.  
'You.' He pointed at Xander. 'Wonder why you friends have been going nutso and you haven't?'  
'Well...'  
'You're a control, Xander. We turned you off. When you woke, you remembered the game and the false memories we implanted as to how you acquired it. Otherwise, you should be your normal, no doubt charming, self.'   
'We couldn't tell,' Giles said dryly.  
'But what's the point of it all?' Willow asked. 'The new playstation or something?'  
'I'm surprised you haven't guessed. Notice any human value system at The Initiative? Any compassion? Any morality?'  
No-one said a word. It didn't need to be said.  
'21st Century training techniques. Wargames. The brass want elite fighting forces, they don't care about the soldier that can't cut it. Dispensable. Four teams in the game. They think they playing a training sim. When they come out of the game, they don't know it, but they're still programmed to kill each other. Real stealth. Real surprise attack and ambush. The strongest, the fastest, the most instinctive. The soldier they're looking for. We outlined the plan, but never got green lighted. We intended to sell it back to the bastards.'  
'It's horrible.' Buffy said, shocked.  
'You truly disgust me.' Giles muttered.  
'You guys at least found some of the bugs.'  
'No sex.' Willow almost whispered.  
'Yeah, we've got some problems with the drug and neuro-receptors in the brain. A fix shouldn't be too tricky.'  
'How did you do this to us?' Buffy asked, her voice trembling.  
'That was simple. That dinner party you had a few weeks ago? When your friends all stayed over? Drugged you, did the implants, fed you the drug and left.'  
'What about Anya?' Xander asked. 'Why didn't you mess with her?'  
'Your girlfriend's not quite human, is she Xander? Bit of a demon?'  
'Your very smug for a man I'm about to kill!' Buffy wept tears of rage. 'I've met some monsters...'  
Giles and Xander held onto Buffy. 'He deserves it Buff, but we need to get set right, remember?'  
'Can you put them back?' Cordelia asked.  
'I recognise you, you're dead.' Barney said.  
'Huh?'  
'Oh, nothing. It's not a problem. Just have to neutralise the drug.  
'We've got a lab. Near the old Sunnydale High ruin.'  
'You can do it now?'  
'Let's go.'  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The small dilapidated office complex that Barney and Sam had been using to work on their unpleasant project lay in darkness as the gang and their captive rolled up in Giles' car and Cordelia's rental vehicle. Buffy kept a vice-like grip on Barney's wrist as he delved around in his pocket for the electronic security card.  
'Try anything and I'll break it!' she hissed.  
'I would dream of it.'  
They entered a darkened corridor. Glass doors on either side marked off their progress as they made their way toward the lab.  
'Can't we get any light in here?' Cordelia asked nervously.  
'Centrally controlled I'm afraid.' Barney explained. 'Not much further.'  
'I have a bad feeling about this.' Xander said.  
'Xander, that's such a cliché!' Willow reprimanded. 'Someone in Star Wars movies always says, "I have a bad feeling about this". When we went to see Phantom Menace I sat there waiting for it, and sure enough...' Willow collapsed.  
Xander dropped down to one knee. 'Will?'  
'What have you done to Willow, Captain Dweeb?' Cordelia demanded.  
'I expect Sam's flooded the corridor with a powerful anaesthetic. You didn't..' Barney trailed off and collapsed.'  
'Oh great. Just ..' Cordelia passed out  
  
Tara awoke. The corridor she was now in was short and floodlit. One end contained only a locked door. The other ended in a transparent perspex wall. On the other side an identical corridor. The only difference was another door in the left wall. She tested the perspex wall by pushing, then hitting it. No give. She had little doubt she was back in the game. But to what end?  
  
Giles was back at school. Sunnydale High to be precise. The lights were all turned on, but the place was deserted. Cautiously, he made his way to the entrance. It was dark out and he could make out a number of hulking figures in the grounds. Vampires. Whatever Barney had in store for him was to take place within the school. Unless they intended him to take on a parking lot full of the undead. He headed for the library and hopefully his collection of weapons.  
  
Xander sat in The Bronze, his anger nearly at boiling point. Buffy was making him crazy, and he was becoming increasingly convinced that she was doing it deliberately. Everything had been so much easier just five hours ago. He had spent the whole summer hanging with Willow. Somehow something had changed. He had stopped thinking about Buffy for one thing. Willow was funny and smart...and cute. She really was. He'd suddenly found himself looking at her body and she was no little girl at sleepover anymore. She was a pretty teenager who'd do anything to please him. Anything. She'd looked so adorable with that ice cream on her nose...And Buffy had shown up and his resolve had gone south. That dance earlier though. Rubbing her body against him, he had felt her stiff nipples even through his shirt. Then she'd left him high and dry and gone on to repeat the performance with a bunch of guys she didn't even know. Right now he felt like killing her.  
  
Willow awoke in a cupboard. At least that was how it seemed, constrained on four sides. She staggered about, disorientated. Her hand felt something that felt like a switch. The light blinded her for a few moments. A janitor's cupboard. Nothing of much use. She opened the door easily. The corridor was short, a door on the right, a blank wall at the end. She took a few steps towards the door, but it opened before she could reach it. Spike.  
'Hello Red.'  
'Spike.'  
'I've been thinking about what Terra said, and do you know what? She's right. I've been in denial.'  
'About what?'  
'You. I mean, I'm not gonna tell you I'm in love with you, 'cos that would be a bunch of human crap. But you do something for me. Other than give me a hard-on, that is. Y'see Red, I 'm the sort of guy that needs a girl. For eternity or dusting, whichever comes first.'  
'You're going to turn me?'  
'Yup.'  
'What about the chip?'  
'Gone.'  
'Please don't Spike!'  
'Red. Willow. I don't want to hurt you. I like you. I'm quite fond of old Rupert if the truth be told. But I'm extremely selfish, and I want you. Which means I have to kill you. Sorry.'  
He grabbed her, caught her easily. Willow fought valiantly, but had little chance against Spike's far superior strength. He found the smooth, white flesh of her neck and sank in his fangs and drank.  
  
'Aaarrgh!' Willow screamed and sat up in bed. Bed? Five other medical beds surrounded her. Tara, Cordelia, Giles, Buffy and Xander.  
'Willow?'  
'Anya. Oh man, it's good to see you.'  
Anya tipped her head backward to indicate the young man holding an Initiative blaster.  
'Oh.' Said Willow. 'I suppose you're Sam?'  
The control centre consisted of a bunch of jury rigged monitors and computers and a whole bunch scientific equipment that she didn't recognise.  
'Welcome back, Willow.' Barney said. 'We ran you first for a reason. We've reconfigured the equipment now so that if you die in the dream, you die in real life. Neural shock to the brain. When we sell the product we need someone who's been in the game and survived. Buffy will win naturally, of course, but she's way too dangerous to have running around. Now you can see a bit of cause and effect.'  
He activated the monitor. They were looking right into Tara's dream.  
  
Tara watched Willow appear from the door in the corridor on the other side of the plexiglass wall. She pounded as hard as she could on the glass wall and cried out Willow's name. Nothing. She watched Spike appear from the door on the left. She screamed louder. Spike grabbed Willow and they fought. He bit Willow's neck. Slowly she went limp in his arms. He lifted the prone body easily and carried it away with him.  
  
Tara began to scream. It was a scream of anguish, agony, disbelief. It went on for a disturbingly long time. When eventually Tara stopped screaming, all the light had gone out of her eyes. She reached into a pocket a drew out a long bladed athame ceremonial dagger.  
'No.' Willow said. 'Stop her. Please!' pleading. 'I'll do anything!'  
She heard Anya sob. 'No.'  
Tara held the knife over her stomach. She lifted it slightly. 'Willow. Forgive me.' Tara plunged the knife into herself. She fell forward, blood spilling.  
Anya lost control. 'Fucking animals!' she flung herself at Barney. Sam loosed a bolt of energy from the blaster which downed her easily.  
Willow reached out and touched the screen. 'Tara?'  
Sam disappeared, returning moments later. 'Dead.'  
Willow took her hand away from the screen. 'Can I see her? Can I say goodbye?'  
'This isn't a fucking funeral home.' Sam hissed, giving away his demon origins for the first time. 'You ain't gonna be around for all that much longer.'  
  
Xander watched Buffy go through her erotic dance routine one more time. This guy was a vamp, definitely. Mullet hairstyle, rolled up jacket sleeves, Hawaiian shirt. The works. She was dancing like that with one of them? Xander watched as Buffy took the guy's hand and began to lead him out of The Bronze.  
'Gonna get staked.' He said out loud. He followed them out.  
  
Buffy did the deed in a small alleyway near the club. Vamp didn't stand much of a chance, nor did he put up much of a fight. Xander watched Buffy dust the vampire then ran over.  
'Hey, Buffy!'  
'Xander?  
He held out his hand to her. 'Here let me take care of that for you.'  
Buffy sounded slightly confused. 'Okay.' She handed the bloodied stake to Xander. He turned it round and without a word, thrust it as hard as he could into Buffy Summer's chest.  
'Xander..' she gurgled, 'They got you...'  
'Nope. You did. Me and Willow are better off without you.'  
'Xander?'  
'Sorry Buff.'  
He pushed the stake into her heart.  
  
'Shit!' Barney whooped. 'I'd never have put money on that one!'  
'The friend is the perfect assassin.' Sam announced pompously.  
  
Giles reached the library without encountering any hostile forces on the way. He almost tripped over the body on the floor. Cordelia. He knelt down and turned her over. Dead. Puncture wounds to the neck. Who? Spike? He was gone. He rubbed his eyes, trying to fend off the headache that threatened to develop into a migraine. He completely failed to see the vampire Cordelia as she rose up behind him.  
'Fat lot of good you were, bookworm.'  
'Ahh!' Giles nearly jumped out of his shoes, and took a few steps backwards, nearly falling.  
'You were supposed to protect me. Look at me! I'll never make this work with chiffon!'  
Her face returned to normal. 'And do you know what pisses me off the most, Giles?'  
'N-no..?'  
'I got killed by Harris and Rosenberg. And now I'm gonna have to hang out with them again.'  
'This isn't right. You were killed. Not turned. I'm in the bloody game, aren't I?'  
'Cordelia?' Giles edged towards the cage.  
'Soon to be dead librarian?'  
'You left your....thing over here.'  
'What thing?'  
'This thing.' Giles stood upright and shot Cordelia through the heart with a crossbow pistol.'  
'That's not mine.' Cordelia pointed out as she disintegrated into a million tiny bits.  
  
Buffy, Cordelia and Tara crouched between the beds containing Giles and Xander.  
'We've got to make our move, we don't know what's likely to happen now there's only two left.' Buffy whispered.  
'But they could pull the plug on Giles and Xander.' Cordelia said. 'They may be a pair of jerks, but I don't want them to die!'  
'Can you j-just stay here,' Tara said. 'There's something I want to check out.'  
Buffy shrugged. 'Watch yourself.'  
Tara pointed to the end of the room. 'I'm only going over there.'  
Tara made her way to the computer terminal in an alcove at the end of the room. She booted up the machine.  
  
REMOTE TERMINAL 2  
  
SUBJECT:  
Chase CEliminatedSleep TerminatedPersonality Programme Activated  
Giles RActiveSleep InducedPersonality Programme Activated  
Harris AActiveSleep InducedPersonality Program Activated  
Kedwood TEliminatedSleep Terminated Personality Programme Activated  
Rosenberg WEliminatedSleep TerminatedPersonality Programme Activated  
B SmithInactiveSleep Inactive Personality Programme Inactive  
Underwood SInactiveSleep InactivePersonality Programme Inactive  
Summers EEliminatedSleep TerminatedPersonality Programme Activated  
  
Tara began to work the controls.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The gang crowded round the computer equipment in the main control room, occasionally prodding the two sleeping figures.  
'I say we put 'em in the game.' Xander suggested. 'See what fun they have fighting vamp Cordy'  
'If you think I'm going back in there, you better have a big cash deposit available.'  
'Note to maniac: never set yourself up as a test subject for mind control  
'We wipe everything.' Buffy said resolutely. 'Including these guys' memories.'  
'Buffy, that could be very dangerous.' Giles pointed out  
Buffy shot him her determined look.  
'Okay, okay.'  
'Tara, how come you didn't die?' Xander asked.  
'After the first time I was really freaked out. I know this little spell that can reduce all bodily functions to a bare minimum including brain activity. It's like the ultimate relaxation technique. I thought that it might knock out the mind control techniques. It didn't, but when they shocked me it just woke me up. Took about five minutes to get back to normal. Then I just removed all your electrodes so you just woke up when you died in the game.'  
'My hero.' Willow gave Tara a big hug and an even bigger kiss.  
'Oh, isn't that sweet!' Cordelia squealed.  
'You've changed.' Xander said, 'Angel's done things to you.'  
'I still hate Faith.'  
'Doesn't everyone?'  



End file.
